Eva, if you have a singing engagement coming up, this is probably not what you want to hear, but the best thing you can do is just stop using your voice until the condition clears up.

I've had to dice with this particular issue on two different occasions. The first was when I continued singing over a cold and sore throat and wound up having pitch problems. I went to a voice teacher to get some help, and after listening to me, he immediately sent me to an otolaryngologist. The doctor told me I had chronic acute laryngitis:   an angry red line along the edges of both vocal folds. He sprayed my throat with something that anesthetized and basically paralyzed my voice box. He told me that it would wear off in a couple of hours, but that I was not to use my voice—no singing, no speaking, not even whispering (which, surprisingly enough, can be harder on the larynx than talking)—for six weeks! It was either that, or quite possibly do permanent damage to my voice. I had a regular singing job every weekend, and during the week I gave private guitar lessons during the day and taught folk guitar classes in the evenings—using my voice all the while. I cancelled everything. My income took a hit, but it was either that or possible do permanent damage to my voice.

I checked in with the otolaryngologist once a week, and in six weeks he told me that the condition had cleared up. He further told me not to sing or talk until I got back with the teacher, who would basically "rebuild" my voice. The teacher got me speaking again (softly) and gave me some easy singing exercises that lay well within my range, telling me not to go beyond specific high or low notes until he said it was okay. The whole process took about three months before I was able to resume my singing engagements and teaching. And even then, I had to be careful of what I sang:    nothing that would strain my voice in any way. It was about a year before my singing voice was back to normal, and I could belt 'em out as usual.

The second time was a couple of decades later. I had a day-job as a telephone operator (using my voice all day long). I recognized the symptoms and went to an otolaryngologist right away. Same story, although it cleared up a lot faster because I caught it before I pushed my voice. Six weeks on disability for 85% pay and check into the job every week with the doctor's report that said "not yet." Fortunately, I came out of both of these incidents okay because I was determined to take care of my voice.

Never ever push your voice beyond what is comfortable. Always use good breath support and never try to stretch your range beyond what feels comfortable. And if you come down with a cold or sore throat, clam up until it clears up! Then, when you're back to normal, go very easy on your voice for at least a couple of weeks. I learned this the hard way.

If Luciano Pavarotti or Renée Fleming feel it's necessary to cancel a concert because of a cold or sore throat and possibly lose a four-figure fee in the process, I can sure as heck cancel a coffeehouse gig or a house concert for the same reason if it means preserving my voice.

Think hard on this! Take care of your voice.

Best of luck,

Don Firth